Weft-replenishing loom.



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WBPT RBPLBNISHING LOOM.-

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W-EPI' REPLENISH-ING LOOM.

PM I'OATION FILED ITBB.1`7,1904.

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No.`. 796,'950. PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

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WEPT REPLENISHING LOOM.

AIPLIUATION FILED FBB.17.1904.

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No. 796,950. PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

A. E., A. c G. WALKER.

WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM.. APYLIGATION' FILED PEB.17.1904.

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ZZ/ZIM UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIGE- ALBERT EDWARD WALKER, ARTHUR WALKER,

AND GEORGE WALKER,

WEFT-REPLENISHING LOOM.

Specification OfLetters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

Original application iled January 26, 1903, Serial No. 140,619. Dividedand this application filed February 17, 1904. Serial No. 194,037.

To a/ZZ whom it 11i/(Ly concern:

Be it known that we, ALBERT EDWARD WALKER, ARTHUR WALKER, and GEORGE WALKER, subjects of His Majesty the King of Great Britain, residing at Norwood Green, near Halifax, England, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Automatic VVeft-Replenishing Looms, of which the following is a specification, the present application being adivision of our prior application, liled January 26, 1903, Serial No. 140,619.

This invention relates to the class of automatic or continuous looms in which the breakage or exhaustion of the weft-thread `causes an automatic weft-replenishing mechanism to be put into operation without the stopping of the loom; and it consists of novel means for this purpose, while it has also reference to novel means for automatically causing the cessation of the taking up of the fabric'while the new supply of weft is being made in order to prevent thinly-woven places being -made in the fabric during the short period that the shuttle travels without weft. Such stoppage of the taking up of the fabric while the loom is otherwise in motion requires, iirst, the immediate disconnection of the take-up motion when the weft-thread breaks or becomes exhausted; second, the continued disconnection of the take-up motion while the new supply of weft is being automatically made; third, the immediate connection of the take-up motion when the new supply of weft is made. These requirements are met by the employment of the means shown in the drawings, in Which-- l Figure 1 is a side elevation of la part of a loom suihcient to show our improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan of part of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of Fig. 1, showing a detail. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a secondary controlling device employed in connection with the invention, the horizontal arm 61b being broken off. Fig. 5 is a plan of Fig. 4, thearm 61b being fully shown.` Fig. 6 is an elevation of a ratchet-wheel hereinafter described; and Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a part of a loom, showing the weft-replenishing mechanism.

For our purpose the usual weft-fork is carried by a bracket 81 of the weft-fork arm 82` pivoted at 83, which arm 82 operates the usual lever 84, connecting the weft-fork motion to the take-up motion by the arm 86, at-

tached to the lever 84lthrough the rod 85, the free-vend of said arm 86lying under the usual pawl 87, -operated through the arm 88 from the going` part of Vthe loom, said pawl 87 being 'normally 'in engagement with the ratchetwheel 89, vwhich operates in the ordinary way the take-up Ibeam 91,the-ratchet-wheel having a check-pawl 90 pivoted to the frame. On arm 82 is a pin92,a cord 93 connecting it to a bell-crank 94, another cord passing down to a crank 96 and across to the operating-rod 106 of a card-motion forming the secondary controlling device of an automatic weft-replenishing mechanism, all as hereinafter described. A retaining-rod is also mounted in bearings 123 1 24 on the frame 30 in such a position that astop 121 on its end bears against the under side of the arm 82 when the latter is in its normal position, (see Fig. 3,) the rod being compressed in this position against a spiral spring-125, situated between a collar 126 and the bearing 124.

lThe lower end 122 of rod 120has a cord 127, which passes to a crank 128 and from thence round a pulley 129 to a lever 130, forming a part of the operating means for turning the rotary shuttle-'box of the weft-replenishing mechanism or otherwise connected to the moving part of any other weft-replenishing mechanism.

Now so long as the weft-thread continues arm 82 maintains its forward position by the weight ofthe arm 86 coacting with the lever 84, and thus prevents the retaining-rod 120 from rising; but immediately the weft-thread breaks the weft-fork is caught by its vhooked end by the usual vibrating lever, (which is not shown,) and the arm 82 is drawn backward, andthe linger 121 being uncovered the rod 120 is released and rises in front of arm 82, so that its finger extends across the width ofthe space the arm previously covered. The weft-fork arm 82 in its backward movement will thus move the lever 84 and raise pawl 87, sothat the motion of the take-up beam 91 is stopped, hence preventing a thin place in the cloth. 'Simultaneously with this the arm 82 has pulled cords 93 and 95, and the rod 106, previously referred to, is operated, so that through the controlling device the weft-replenishing mechanism is automatically operated. During the period that the weft-fork motion requires to communicate its action to this automatic weft-replenishing mechanism the take-up motion remains disconnected, thus enabling the loom to continue running without damage to the fabric. As a result, however, of a new shuttle being put into weaving position lever 180 moves up, and the cord 127 is thus pulled, so that armv120 andfinger 121 are withdrawn and the weft-fork arm 82'is allowed to return to its normal condition above same, the movement 'of ylever 811 thus per` mitted bringing the pawl 87 again into connection with ratchet 89, and thus resuming the operation of the take-up motion.

The operation of the secondary controlling device and the weft-replenishing mechanism we prefer to employ is briefly as follows, reference being made to Figs. f1 to 7 of the drawings: The' first part of the device consists of anl intermittently-operated card-cylinder having two ratchet-wheels on the cylinder and two pawls or hooks to engage these ratchetwheels. The pawls are pivotedl to an arm or lever, which is vibrated in the ordinary way by a cam and lifting-rod. One pawl is normally prevented from engaging its ratchetwheel b y a removable stop-piece, and the other ratchet-wheel has a blank space in it. Consequently each ltime the pawl meets this space in the ratchet-wheel the cylinder remains stationary until the said stop-'piece is moved sufficiently to'allow theother'pawl to engage its ratchet-wheel and operate the cylinder. The plates or lags are so arranged that the first movement of the cylinder after it has been stationary brings into active position the particular plate or lag provided to put the shuttlc-changing mechanism in operation. The said stop-piece may consist of a rod normally held by a spring in such a position that it engages the pawl or an arm thereon, thereby holding the pawl away from the ratchet-wheel and preventing it engaging the teeth. f Referring to the drawings, upon the cardcylinder X we aflix the two ratchet-wheels 100 and 102. The driving ratchet-wheel 100 is operated by the pawl 108, and the ratchetwheel 102 or starting-ratchet is operated by the pawl 101. Both pawls are pivoted on the stud l,llixed in the lever 70X, which works on the fulcrum-rod 71X. The lever 70X rises and falls by means of the usual lifting-rod 60b and cam 60, fixed upon the shaft 75X.

The employment of two ratchet-wheels is for the purpose of allowing the cylinder 60 to make only one rotation after each actuation ofthe cord 95, which controls the mechanism. This object is attained by omitting one tooth at the point u from the driving-ratchet 100, Fig. 6, and by keeping the pawl 101 normally out of action with the starting-ratchet 102.

The pawl 101 is kept out of action with its ratchet 102 by the linger 108 on the said pawl being engaged by the projection 105 at the end of the sliding rod 106, which rod is mounted in the slide-bearings 107 and 107, fixed in the lever 70X.

The sliding rod 106 is pressed toward and bears upon the finger 108 on'the pawl 101 by the spiral spring 109 on the rod, the spring being compressed between the collar 106 and the bearing 107, The stud 70 on the lever 70 limits the movement of the rod 106 when submitted to the action of the spring 109 and defines the extent of movement of the projection 105 over the finger 108.

To the rear end of the sliding rod 106 the cord 95 is attached, which is guided around to the front of the loom, as previously described. When the cord is pulled, the sliding rod 106 is drawn backward and the pressure of the projection 105 upon the finger 108 of the pawl 101 is removed and the pawl 101 thereby allowed by its weight to fall upon the starting-ratchet 102. Then immediately upon the rising of the cam 60c the cylinder 60 is put into action and turned over the space 1001, where the tooth is omitted in the ratchet-wheel 100. The rotation of the cylinder 60X is then taken up by the drivingratchet 100 and continued by it until the space of the missing tooth again arrives under the pawl108, when the cylinder comes to rest, the said pawl at each rise of the cam 60c passing ineffectively over the space of the missing tooth, the pawl .101 having been previousl y withdrawn from contact with the starting-ratchet 102 when the tension upon the cord was released.

The cylinder 60 is perforated or carries upon it perforated cards, into which perforations the pins 61c and 70a, fixed on the levers 61b and 70X, respectively, fall. The perforations can be arranged to cause the levers 61' and 70 to operate at any desired intervals during the period of the rotation of the cylinder 60X. The lever 61" brings into operation the shuttle-box-turning lever and the lever 70 the shuttle-feeder-vibrating lever 84 of the weft replenishing mechanism. (Shown in Fig. 7.)

When the horizontal arm of the lever 61b falls. through its cranked end 61k it moves the lever 61Cl outwardly, so that its hooked end is engaged by the lever 74X, vibrated by the cam 9 from the shaft 7 5X, the hooked end of the lever 61d, as illustrated in Fig. 7, passing through the slot 73X of the lever 74X. This movement lifts and rocks the lever on its pivot 78 and by pulling down the rod 611 operates, through the hooked end 613, the rotary shuttle-box 2, so that its compartments are turned over to bring a full shuttle into position. The movement of the lever 130 also simultaneously pulls the cord 127, and thus, as stated, withdraws the retaining-finger 121 from in front of the weft-fork arm 82, so that the operation of the take-up motion is resumed. In substantially a similar manner the lever 70 operates the shuttle-feeder-Vibrating lever 84 (forming no part of the present invention; hence the shuttle-feeder mechanism is not specifically described) through the rod 80, connecting an arm or bracket 82 on the feeder-vibrating lever with a pivoted arm corresponding to the arm 180 and lying to one side thereof, the said arm corresponding to the arm 130 being connected at its other end with a latch-arm corresponding to the arm 61d and similarly operating through the slot 73X of the lever 74X, it being understood that this latch-arm is operated by suitable means, (operated by the lever 70X,) as before described with reference to the operation of the lever 61d.

What we Claim is- 1, In an automatic loom, the combination with the weft-fork arm, a secondary controlling device comprising card mechanism, and a weft-replenishing device operated by such secondary device, of means connecting said weft-fork arm with the card mechanism of such secondary device. to operate the latter and thereby the weft-replenishing mechanism, and means connected with the weft-replenishing mechanism for allowing the weftork arm to be restored when the weft has been replenished.

2. In an automatic loom, the combination with the weft-fork arrn` a secondary controlling device comprising card mechanism and a weft-replenishing device operated by such secondary device, of a cord connection between said weft-fork arm and the cardmechanism of such secondary device to operate the p latter and thereby the weft-replenishing mechanism, a stop for retainingV the weft-fork arm in its position when moved by its usual vibrating part, and means connected with the weft-replenishing mechanism for withdrawing the stop from the path of the lever when the weft has been replenished.

3. In an automatic loom, the combination with the weft-fork arm, a secondary controlling device comprising card mechanism and a Weft-replenishing device operated by such secondary device, of means connecting said weft-fork arm with the card mechanism of such secondary device to operate the latter and thereby the weft-replenishing mechanism, means connected vvith the weft-replenishing mechanism for allowing the weft-fork arm to be restored, when the weft has been replenished, and means also connected with said weft-fork arm for stopping the take-up mechanism when the weft-fork arm is operated.

4. In an automatic loom, the combination `with the weft-fork arm ofa retaining-rod comprising a stop-piece adapted normally to lie under said arm, a spring' bearing on said rod normally under compression and adapted to project the stop into the path of said arm when the latter is moved by its usual operating mechanism, weft-replenishing mechanism, and a connection between such mechanism and the rod whereby the latter can be withdrawn from the path of the weft-fork arm to allow said arm to move again into its operative position.

5. In an automatic loom, the combination with the weft-fork arm, o1 a retaining-rod 120, a stop-linger 121 adapted to normally lie under said arm, a spring 125 carried by said rod` a iiXed part against which such spring is compressed so that on the movement of the arm the finger may be projected into the path of same, wet-replenishing mechanism, and a cord connection between such mechanism and the rod, whereby the latter can bewithdrawn from the path of the weft-fork arm.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ALBERT EDWARD WALKER. ARTHUR WALKER. .GEORGE WALKER.

Witnesses:

RD. B. NIcHoLLs, FRED HAMMOND. 

